May 12, 2011 at 15:36Checklist when preparing a presentation
Recently, I watched dozens of presentations that began like this:
- We are doing an e-learning management system ...
- We conducted a study of the behavior of visitors on our website ...
- Our company was founded more than a hundred years ago ...
It's just amazing how people like to do this . From the first seconds they sit on the ears of the audience with a story to themselves:
- We offer a SAAS solution ...
- Our technology ...
And my favorite:
- I’ll start the story with who we are ...
Why is everyone so sure that this is what the audience is primarily interested in ? The only thing that the speaker is guaranteed to receive in such a speech is a claim to himself and his company.
I saw how one of the Microsoft directors got a loud hooting, and the representative of Rostelecom got caustic trolling from the audience just because they performed according to this template.
Why does this happen every time?
In the book “Presentation,” Carmine Gallo says that the vast majority are not properly preparing for their speeches. What do they do first? Open PowerPoint and begin to slide the slides. Then they go to the event and get a natural result - the audience’s indifference to everything said.
The book describes how Steve Jobs acts when he needs to present something. No matter how you relate to the head of Apple, the main thing is that there is given valuable information on the preparation and construction of the presentation.
In the very first part there is given the main advice. If you're preparing for a presentation, close PowerPoint first. Take the paper, pen and write this:
1. How does what you say concern your listeners?
2. What thought should they make from the presentation?
3. Describe your “statement of passion"? Admit to yourself why you so love to do what you talk about?
4. Post twitter-like headlines.
5. Imagine the antagonist: who or what is the enemy of your listeners?
6. Imagine the hero: how do you present the subject of your story? How will he defeat the antagonist?
7. Designate the three things you will talk about. The three components of your presentation.
The book is good, but as with any theory, the main thing is its translation into practice. I needed more information to think about. Therefore, I took the items described and compiled a special checklist. I promised myself not to open any programs or plan any slides until I go through it in writing:
1. Write the topic of the presentation. Consider everything else based on this topic.
2. Draw your audience, all listeners, or types of listeners, if there are many.
3. Write who they are, what they do, their characteristics, what are they interested in, what do they need most?
4. Who or what do they all dislike? What is stopping them? What is a nail in the ass? If this is not, then who or what could become it?
5. What do you offer them will save? How?
6. What should happen after the presentation? Remember, if this is not clearly described, there will be no exhaust.
7. Declare your passion. What is cool about what you do? Is this really so? Confess to yourself.
8. Write three points, three components, three things about which you will talk. This is a blueprint for your presentation plan. Use it.
9. At this point you already have phrases that could become slogans. Rewrite them so that they fit on Twitter.
Trying to apply the described methods, from the first presentation I achieved the desired result. I just can’t imagine the idea that I would ever say something in the old way.
I am sure that if you take any presentation from those unsuccessful ones that you saw and drive it through the checklist, it will become obvious to you how to redo it so that it succeeds. Well, do not forget to read the book. There is much more than I can tell here.
- We are doing an e-learning management system ...
- We conducted a study of the behavior of visitors on our website ...
- Our company was founded more than a hundred years ago ...
It's just amazing how people like to do this . From the first seconds they sit on the ears of the audience with a story to themselves:
- We offer a SAAS solution ...
- Our technology ...
And my favorite:
- I’ll start the story with who we are ...
Why is everyone so sure that this is what the audience is primarily interested in ? The only thing that the speaker is guaranteed to receive in such a speech is a claim to himself and his company.
I saw how one of the Microsoft directors got a loud hooting, and the representative of Rostelecom got caustic trolling from the audience just because they performed according to this template.
Why does this happen every time?
In the book “Presentation,” Carmine Gallo says that the vast majority are not properly preparing for their speeches. What do they do first? Open PowerPoint and begin to slide the slides. Then they go to the event and get a natural result - the audience’s indifference to everything said.
The book describes how Steve Jobs acts when he needs to present something. No matter how you relate to the head of Apple, the main thing is that there is given valuable information on the preparation and construction of the presentation.
In the very first part there is given the main advice. If you're preparing for a presentation, close PowerPoint first. Take the paper, pen and write this:
1. How does what you say concern your listeners?
2. What thought should they make from the presentation?
3. Describe your “statement of passion"? Admit to yourself why you so love to do what you talk about?
4. Post twitter-like headlines.
5. Imagine the antagonist: who or what is the enemy of your listeners?
6. Imagine the hero: how do you present the subject of your story? How will he defeat the antagonist?
7. Designate the three things you will talk about. The three components of your presentation.
The book is good, but as with any theory, the main thing is its translation into practice. I needed more information to think about. Therefore, I took the items described and compiled a special checklist. I promised myself not to open any programs or plan any slides until I go through it in writing:
1. Write the topic of the presentation. Consider everything else based on this topic.
2. Draw your audience, all listeners, or types of listeners, if there are many.
3. Write who they are, what they do, their characteristics, what are they interested in, what do they need most?
4. Who or what do they all dislike? What is stopping them? What is a nail in the ass? If this is not, then who or what could become it?
5. What do you offer them will save? How?
6. What should happen after the presentation? Remember, if this is not clearly described, there will be no exhaust.
7. Declare your passion. What is cool about what you do? Is this really so? Confess to yourself.
8. Write three points, three components, three things about which you will talk. This is a blueprint for your presentation plan. Use it.
9. At this point you already have phrases that could become slogans. Rewrite them so that they fit on Twitter.
Trying to apply the described methods, from the first presentation I achieved the desired result. I just can’t imagine the idea that I would ever say something in the old way.
I am sure that if you take any presentation from those unsuccessful ones that you saw and drive it through the checklist, it will become obvious to you how to redo it so that it succeeds. Well, do not forget to read the book. There is much more than I can tell here.